This invention relates generally to the field of mailing machines, and more particularly to guiding and feeding a mailpiece into and out of operational engagement with an envelope flap moistening apparatus on a mailing machine.
Generally, a mail piece feeder on a mailing machine transports envelopes and other mailpieces along a deck so that various functions may be performed on the mailpiece at different locations along the deck. For example, one location along a deck may weigh the mailpiece, another location may seal the mailpiece and still another location may apply an indicia for postage to the mailpiece. Typically, drive rollers are mounted along the deck with a radial portion contacting each envelope to propel the envelope along the deck. The drive rollers can extend, for example, through aligned cutouts in the deck. The drive rollers move the mailpiece along the deck to different locations on the deck where a function may be performed.
A sealing function performed by a mailing machine can include a structure for deflecting a flap of a moving envelope away from the envelope""s body to enable a moisture deposition process to occur. The structure can include a stripper blade that becomes inserted between the flap of the envelope and the body of the envelope as the envelope traverses the deck. The moisture deposition moistens an adhesive that is present on the inner surface of the envelope flap before the envelope is fed into a nip which serves to seal the envelope with the moistened adhesive.
Envelopes are increasingly available in a variety of sizes and thickness, which makes it difficult to design into a mailing machine optimum interaction between an envelope and the stripper blade. For example, a commercial business envelope may have dimensions of 4xe2x85x9 inches by 9xc2xd inches, a baronial envelope may have dimensions of 4xc2xe inches by 6xc2xd inches, an announcement envelope may have dimensions of 4xe2x85x9c by 5xc2xe inches or 6 by 9xc2xd inches, a square envelope may have dimensions of 5 inches by 5 inches, 6 inches by 6 inches, or 8 inches by 8 inches. Multiple other sizes and dimensions of envelopes are also common. In addition, various envelopes can include different shape flaps, such as tapered or square, and different thickness, such as an envelope containing one sheet of paper as compared to an envelope with several card stock inserts. Optimum interaction between a stripper blade and an envelope can depend upon envelope size, shape and thickness. With various multiple sizes and shapes of envelopes and flaps, it is difficult to predetermine placement of a guide to facilitate optimum interaction, relative to an envelope path and a stripper blade.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide methods and apparatus that overcame the drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus to efficiently guide envelopes of various sizes and shapes into a stripper blade.
Accordingly, an improved method and apparatus for guiding a mailpiece traversing a deck of a mailing machine is provided. The improved apparatus includes a mechanism for feeding a mailpiece in a path along a transport deck having a stripper blade horizontally aligned with the transport deck for operational engagement with the mail piece traversing the transport deck. A feeder portion can provide a mail piece across a transport deck and into engagement with a stripper blade which separates an envelope flap from an envelope body. The stripper blade can have a blade edge for engaging the mail piece. Typical embodiments can include a blade edge profile with an arc and skis of staggered lengths generally conforming to the shape of an arc.
A multi-ski guide is located prior to the stripping blade. For example, a multi-ski guide can include 3 skis. The relative length of each ski included in the multi-ski guide will correlate generally with a blade edge profile of the stripper blade. One or more springs can provide a normal force to hold the multi-ski guide against the stripper blade, such as, for example, a separate spring for each ski. Embodiments can include a normal force provided by the spring in the range of 0.3 pounds to 0.6 pounds of pressure on each ski comprising the multi-ski guide. Different skis can have different normal forces applied.
In another aspect, each ski included in the multi-ski guide can include at least one contact bump formed onto the lower side of the ski for contacting the stripper blade. In addition, embodiments can include an inner most ski on the multi-ski guide with one or more mail piece guiding bumps formed on the lower side. The guiding bumps can be positioned to make first contact with the mailpiece traversing the transport deck prior to the mailpiece engaging the stripper blade and remain in contact with the mailpiece until it passes beyond the ski.
Embodiments can include the contact bumps resting on top of the stripper blade at any useful distance from the edge of the blade, such as within approximately 2 mm to 3 mm from the leading edge of the stripper blade, or 3 mm or more from the edge of the stripper blade.
Still another aspect can include one or more idler segments for guiding the mail piece into engagement with the stripper blade. For example, embodiments can include four idler segments such that the idler segments extend the width of the stripper blade and two idler segments are interspersed between skis comprising the multi-ski guide.
The lower surface of the skis included in the multi-ski guide form a floating paper guide for facilitating mail pieces engaging the stripper blade after the mail piece edge has passed the stripper blade edge and before a mail piece flap edge reaches the leading edge of the stripper blade. An inner ski included in the floating paper guide can further include an extended portion supporting at least one mail piece guiding bump. Typically, the extended portion will extend inward and forward towards the stripping blade.
In still another aspect, a method is disclosed for guiding a mailpiece along a path of a transport deck on a mailing machine into operational engagement with a stripper blade by feeding a mail piece across a transport deck and into engagement with a stripper blade for separating an envelope flap from an envelope body. The stripper blade can have a blade edge for engaging the envelope flap.
The mail piece is guided with a multi-ski guide located prior to the stripping blade, wherein the relative length of each ski included in the multi-ski guide correlates generally with a blade edge profile of the stripper blade. A normal force is applied, such as with a spring, to hold each of the multi-ski guide against the stripper blade.
The method can include contacting the stripper blade with at least one contact bump formed into each ski comprising the multi-ski guide. The multi-ski guide can be attached to a take away idler shaft located prior to the stripping blade and idler segments can be positioned between each ski.
Therefore, it should now be apparent that the invention substantially achieves all the above aspects and advantages. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth In the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Various features and embodiments are further described in the following figures, description and claims.